Latency of the new W1 wireless audio connection?

BTW this terrible forum software stripped all the newlines out of my post. It's not my fault. Whoever made this site needs to learn how to code.

Not that I expect it to do any good, but I sent a message to Tim Cook. Congratulations Apple, this is your New Coke moment.

I have an app that I can use to play a virtual pipe organ for a church without an organ - MIDI keyboards and MIDI pedalboard. Going forward it will be difficult if not impossible to connect to the existing sound system. The sad fact is that the sound is fabulous, but as pointed out Bluetooth latency is not acceptable...not an option for sound or MIDI. I can't decide if the people who ultimately signed off on the decision to remove the analog audio spigot are cluless to the customer base they just alienated or are just flat out arrogant.

> this terrible forum software stripped all the newlines out of my post.

When that happens, it seems it's because the post was written on a phone...not to blame phone/mobile use specifically, tho, as yes, this forum package is amazingly poor on far too many levels.

-=-

I have been working on an iPhone music synthesizer app in my spare time. It's intended to be played through a portable amp like Roland Mobile Cube. You control the app via Lightning to USB/MIDI adapters connected to a USB/MIDI keyboard controller that monopolizes the Lightning port. The phone is supposed to be worn in a special strap-on wrist case during use since it takes advantage of the accelerometer for modulation.

That is So without an analog audio out port, and with the Lightning port monopolized by USB/MIDI, how are we supposed to get the kind of no-latency audio to a speaker system, now—given that iPhone 7 has no audio output port and only one Lightning port?

I was hoping Apple would have announced a latency-free and compression-free wireless to analog adapter, that could be then attached to any speaker system and eliminate cables with no penalty to sound quality or lag between pressing a key on the keyboard, and hearing the sound. Because otherwise unless a user wants to chain a Lightning Y-splitter and a Lightning-to-1/8" adapter, it seems the iPhone 7 is useless for musicians compared to previous models. Now, ask any musician who performs on stage the reason why it is bad to chain multiple little adapters together. The reason why is because they come unplugged at the worst possible times. You also want as few little doo-dads as possible that can easily get lost or broken under the corner of an amplifier etc.

I'm pretty sad that even the 7 Plus did not have two Lightning ports built in and some option for a Lightning to 1/8" or lightning to stereo RCA cables being announced. I mean it's as if Apple thinks that the ONLY use for the analog out port was for headphones. Did they forget that they are THE niche company for musicians? Did they forget that musicians need latency-free analog output in order to function? Did they forget they bundle Garage Band with every phone? But seriously, what are we who are developing wearable music apps for live performance supposed to do about no way to do sound output and MIDI input anymore? And yes I know about BlueTooth MIDI.. it *****.. too much latency, very few keyboards on the market support it.

And again, no, chaining lots of fiddly little dongles and adapters is just not something that most musicians would rely on whilst on stage. The wiggly little connectors on those cheaply-made yet expensive-to-replace Chinese-made adapters by the likes of Belkin have their little solder connections go bad at the worst possible times when you are on the road in the middle of nowhere and the only thing you can find is a Walmart, which will have 1/8" to RCA cables for sure, but anything else you need will be blind luck if they have it.

And no, iPad won't work because you can't wear it on your wrist.

Organists are used to huge latencies. The time of flight at the speed of sound from the pipe ranks to the organ console in a large church or concert hall can already be in the range of many dozens of milliseconds.

For a wearable controller, an iPhone SE fits in a wrist mount better and (currently) still has an 3.5mm audio jack. Hopefully it stays in production long enough until someone starts manufactuing pro-quality Lightning/MIDI/audio/XLR/etc. break-out dongles or cases.

You don't get it. I want people who own iPhones as customers. Now they won't have a use for what I am developing due to Apple needlessly crippling the hardware.

Where is a latency-free W1 to 3.5mm adapter or something?

Anyone know if the speakers in the new headphones are still analog?

Most church organs have nowhere near the latency of bluetooth.

Totally agree. I use iPhone for live performance using a midi keyboard. Analogue audio out is a must. Their own app GarageBand is completely crippled without it. The ideal solution would be an iPhone 7 battery case with the headphone jack built in. Why didn't Apple design it this way?! It would have solved the problem and deflected all the bad press too. Invariably, musicians would need the additional battery life so the extra case probably isn't a hardship for most of us. Guess we'll all be sticking with the 6S for a while. I'm a little worried many serious iPhone owners will jump ship to something like the pixel because of this.

So glue-gun and armor a dual or triple outlet Lightning+audio connector to a heavy-duty iPhone/iPad case. Most live performance techs will have a pile of backup equipment (mics, strings, cables, dongles, etc.) ready to go.